Packing material



w. .L DE REAMl-:R 'PACKING 111131111111111.v

Filed April 20. 19,42

Mayv 28, 194s'.

Patented May 28, 1946 PACKING MATERIAL William J. De Reamer, CrownPoint, Ind., assigner to Mapes Consolidated Manufacturing Company, Grth,Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application April 20, 1942, Serial No.439,689

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in packing material and itconsists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

The packing material with which the present invention is more especiallyconcerned is of the kind made of molded pulp in the form of a flat orpad for use in connection with conventional intersecting strip-likefillers in a standard egg case and having on its upper side,intersecting right angled rows of egg receiving seats disposed onewithin the area of each cell formed by the ller.

When the seats mentioned are of the round cup type, a downward pressurethereon tends to roll the circular top edge or ridge thereof, inwardlyand downwardly. This not only changes the original cross sectionalcontour of the seats, but weakens them so that in some instances certainones thereof collapse to lose their intended cushioning action.

One `of the objects of the invention is to provide packing material ofthis kind wherein the egg receiving seats are so shaped and formed as tohave greater strength against distortion or axial crushing or collapseand at the same time permit of a ventilation about that end of the eggengaged on the seat so that the egg remains in a better condition for alonger period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide packing material of thiskind having seats so shaped and formed as to receive either the small orthe large end of an egg with a better seating action and furnish aplurality of arcuately and uniformly spaced contact areas therefor andthis in a manner so that the egg cannot so easily rock or tip out ofposition under impact imparted to the side or the end of the case.

A further object of the invention is to provide a packing material ofthis kind having seats of such shape and form as will better resist adownward pressure tending to collapse them,

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a packing materialof this kind having seats of such shape and form that it is possible topresent between the rows of such seats, striplike parts of greater areafor engagement by and for the support of the strips of the cellularfiller used with the material, thereby reducing the tendency of suchstrips to cut through thematerlal.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others,together with the advantages thereof will more fully appear as thespecification proceeds.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a plan view, on a full size scale, of the eggreceiving side of substantially a quarter corner fragment of theimproved packing material,

with an associated part of the cell forming fillerl used therewithappearing in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View through a bottom endpart of a packed standard egg case and illustrates the use of theimproved pad therein in connection with the standard strip type ofcellular ller, the plane of the section through the pad being indicatedby theline 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 isa vertical sectional view through the pad as taken on the` line3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 `is another vertical sectional view through the pad as taken onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The improved pad, which is preferably made of molded pulp material,includes a sheet-like rectangular body I0 of an area to t Within acompartment of a standard egg case. On the top side of the body areprovided right angled rows of egg receiving seats each in the form of ashallow, inverted, pyramidal shaped cup I I--I I.

Each seat, which is square in plan, includes two pairs of oppostelydisposed inner sides or walls I2-I2 and two pairs of oppositely disposedouter sides or walls I 3--I3, each inner side or wall being connected toan associated outer side or wall by a ridge I4 which is disposed in aplane above that of the sheet-like body l0. Each inner side or wall I2-I2, which is of a triangular shape, slopes downwardly and inwardly fromits ridge I4 toward the center of the cup and all of said sides or wallsof each cup merge into the small rectangular bottom I5 of the cup whichis disposed in a plane between those of the body I0 and the ridges I4respectively, as best 'appears in Fig. 2.

Each outer side or wall I3 of each seat slopes downwardly and outwardlyfrom its ridge to merge into raised strip-like platform portions I6 andI1 respectively. These portions IB and Il, which are disposed in a planebetween those of the body IIJ and the bottom l5 of each seatrespectively, are arranged in the pattern of the intersecting strips I8of the standard llers used therewith. vThe intersecting strips of thefillers define the usual cells each associated with and surrounding acup-like seat I l.

The platform portions I6 are associated with the outer side or wall ofeach seat disposed about the margin of the body and there is a platformportion I1 disposed between each two adjacent to the corners 22 formedby the meeting ends of' the ridges I4--I4 of each seat.

At the intersections of the strip-like platform portions II--I'I aresquare depressed portions, each with a bottom 23 disposed in the planeof the body portion II) and having thereacross the corner dimensions ofgreatest length, arranged parallel with the planes of said platformportions I'I. Each square depressed portion i has four upwardly andoutwardly flaring side walls 24, each of which extends fromitsassociatedside of the bottom to an associated corner 22 as providedby the meeting ends f two right angled ridge'portions I of the adjacentseat. This disposes each square depressed portion between each fouradjacent seats and in the plane of the intersection of the right angledstrips I8 of the filler used with the pad.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a plurality of the pads disposed in a part of thebottom of a standard egg case, only the bottom 25 and one end 26 ofwhich appears therein.

In the use of the pads in such a case, a pad III is disposed in thebottom of the crate, Vwith the seats -II-II thereof facing upwardly andwith the margin of the body Ill and with the bottom 22 of the squaredepressed portions bethe upper ends of the eggs in the layer below whensaid eggs are so large that their upper ends project above the top endedges of the ller. Thus, even with large eggs, the upper ends thereofare not so disposed with respect to the eggs in the tier or layer aboveas to become damaged or broken by reason of any pressure imposed uponthe eggs in the layer below.

It,l isA apparent by the structure described, each seat is of such sizethat anyl egg placed in the seat, either end down, will readily find itsown best seating engagementareas for itself on the tween each fouradjacent seats engaged flatwise upon said bottom 25 of the egg case. Afiller I8 is then placed in position in the case with the bottom edgesof the strips thereof disposed on the platform parts I6 and I1 of thefirst pad placed therein and with the intersections of said stripsdisposed one above each square depressed portion having the bottom 23.The intersecting strips then define a cell 2l one above each seat II.

An egg is placed in each cell 21 so that its bottom end engages upon theseat therein. In this respect, it is pointed out that it makes noparticular difference whether it is the large end or the small end ofthe egg which is disposed downwardly to engage upon its seat. When saidegg is so disposed in the cell, its bottomk end will engage at fourpoints spaced symmetrically about the egg, with each point resting on amid portion of one of the inner side walls I2-f-I2. With the egg soengaged on its seat, a space is left between the bottom I5 of said seatand the axial bottom of. they egg and this space ODGDS into theassociated cell at the corners of each pocket as provided by the meetingends of the inner sides or walls I2-I2. Thus, air may circulate underthe egg. Also, with this kind of support for the egg, downward endwisepressure on the egg will permit said sides to vyield slightly toaccommodate said pressure and this with out permitting the seat tocollapse because of the resistance offered by the strong angularstructure formed at the corners of each pocket.

After the cells in the bottom tier or layer have been filled with eggs,another pad III and another filler is positioned as before and the cellsthereof are filled as before. It is noted that by thestructurementioned, the underside of each seat' II forms a hollow space toaccommodate sides I2-I2 thereof and therefore the egg at no time willride on the top rim or ridge of the seat. This overcomes certainobjections in not only the circular seats before mentioned, but incertainnon-circular seats wherein the egg has point contact orengagement upon hard corner-like parts thereof.

It is also apparent that when an egg has four areas of engagement withthe sides I2-I2 of the seat below the ridges I4 thereof, a downwardlyimposed pressure tends to spread said sides outwardly and said sidesyield to accommodate such pressure with a cushioning action.Furthermore, due to the shape and form of said seats, no downward andinward rolling action can start at the ridges of the seats and thereforethe seats can-` not collapse. As thesides of the seats preclude any hardpoint contact engagement for the egg, the egg is not so easily `brokenand therefore the eggs and the packing material itself remain in a muchbetter condition during shipment,

` Also, it is pointed out that with the seats shaped and formed asdescribed, the parts I6 and II, which are engaged by the bottom edges ofthe strips of the cellular filler, are of a greater area than hasheretofore been possible to so provide and therefore the pressure ofsaid strips is not so localized as to cut through the packing materialalong said parts.

With the pad described, it is to be noted that in no line acros'sethepad is the material ofthe pad disposed 'in the same plane. This providesa truss construction which really stiiens the pad as a whole so that itis not floppy in the handling it naturally receives in use.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form,construction and arrangement of parts, the same is to be considered onlyin the illustrative sense so that I do not `wish to be limited theretoexcept as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A packing material in the form of a cushion pad embodying therein arectangular sheet-like body portion having rows of spaced apartsubstantially square cup-like egg receiving seats thereon, each of arelatively shallow inverted pyramidal shape and including four fullcounterpart sides which meet at the corners of the seat and slopedownwardly and inwardly from their upper base ends toward the center ofthe seat where they coact to form the bottom thereof, the mid portion ofeach side of each seat constituting the egg and engageable areatherefor.

2. A packing material in the form of a cushion pad embodying therein arectangular sheet-like body having rows of spaced apart substantiallysquare cup-like egg receiving seats thereon, each of a relativelyshallow inverted pyramidal shape and each vincluding a set of four fullcounterpart inner sides which meet at the corners of the seat and fourouter sides, the four inner sides of each seat sloping downwardly andinwardly from their upper base ends toward the center of the kseat Wherethey coact to form the bottom therefor, the mid portion of each innerside of each seat constituting the egg and engageable portion therefor,the outer sides of each seat sloping downwardly and outwardly from itsupper base end toward and merging into a ledge portion disposed in aplane between the planes of said base ends and said sheet-lilac bodyrespectively,

3. A packing material in the form of a cushion pad embodying therein arectangular sheet-like body portion having rows of spaced apartsubstantially square cup-like egg receiving seats thereon, which areseparated by parts of the pad arranged in accordance with and adapted tobe engaged by and support the bottom edges of the strips of the cellulariller used with the pad, each seat being of a relatively shallowinverted pyramidal shape and including four full counterpart sides whichmeet at the corners of the seat andslope downwardly and'inwardly fromtheir upper base ends toward the center of the seat where they coact toform the bottom therefor, the mid portion of each side of each seatconstituting the egg end engageable area therefor.

4. A packing material in the form of a cushion pad embodying therein arectangular sheet-like body having right angled rows of spaced apart,

substantially square cup-like egg receiving seats thereon which areseparated by parts of the pad disposed above the plane of the body andarranged in accordance with and adapted to be engaged by the bottomedges of the strips of the cellular ller used with the pad, each seatbeing of a relatively shallow inverted pyramidal shape and includingfour full counterpart sides which meet at the corners of the seat andslope downwardly and inwardly from their upper base ends toward thecenter where they coact to form the bottoni therefor, the mid portion ofeach side of each seat constituting the egg and engageable area thereforand a depressed portion between each four adjacent seats and having abottom disposed in a plane below those parts of the pad separating saidseats.

WILLIAM J. DE BEAMER.

